DHAKA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Nine people have been killed in a suspected toxic gas exposure inside a ship being dismantled at one of Bangladesh's ship-breaking yards on Friday morning.
Several people were injured in the incident at the yard in Sitakunda on the outskirts of Bangladesh's southeastern Chattogram seaport city at around 9:00 a.m. local time, Md Alamgir, an inspector at the local Sitakunda Police Station, told journalists.
"Two more bodies were found at the yard at around 2:30 p.m. local time after six deaths had already been confirmed there," he said.
Another injured worker's death was reported later in the day at a private hospital in Chattogram.
Some of the injured were rushed to hospitals before the police arrived at the accident scene, the official said, adding, "We can't immediately confirm the total number of injured."
Citing the eyewitnesses and firefighters, the official said the workers were killed and injured most likely after toxic gas spread inside the vessel.
He further said the workers were engaged in cleaning and maintenance work aboard the vessel at the yard when they noticed gas leaking from a tank.
Mohammed Mohsin Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), told a local daily newspaper that efforts were underway to airlift at least two critically injured workers to Dhaka by helicopter for advanced treatment. The Bangladeshi government has formed a committee to investigate the incident, while operations at the ship-breaking yard have been suspended until further notice.
Some ships in Sitakunda are reportedly dismantled on the open tidal mudflats without proper safety or environmental controls.
This risky process, often called beaching, exposes workers to toxic gases, heavy metals, and falling steel, leading to high rates of injury and death.
Bangladesh's Sitakunda beaches in recent years have emerged as one of the world's largest ship-breaking hubs, with many shipping companies sending their end-of-life ships for scrap in dangerous and polluting yards in the country. ■